Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2010-11: Matt Iacopelli skated for Brownstone-Woodhaven High School in Michigan and was an honorable mention selection on the Michigan Division II all-state team. He also played in the Little Caesars youth program.

2011-12: Iacopelli appeared in one North American Hockey League with the Texas Tornado and played defense for the Little Caesars U18 team. He was -1 with no points nor penalties with Texas. In 17 games for Little Caesars he scored 5 goals with 5 assists and 9 penalty minutes.

2012-13: Switching from defense to forward, Iacopelli appeared in four games with the NAHL’s Springfield Junior Blues in March as an affiliate player and was a point-per-game scorer for the Belle Tire U18 team. He scored 3 goals with 1 assist and was +2 as he helped the Blues slip into the NAHL playoffs. Iacopelli scored 26 goals with 20 assists and 65 penalty minutes in 39 regular season games for Belle Tire and had 2 assists and 6 penalty minutes in five playoff games. He was selected by Muskegon in the second round (23rd overall) of the 2013 USHL Entry Draft.

2013-14: Iacopelli committed to playing college hockey at Western Michigan in 2014-15 in September and was the leading scorer for Muskegon as a 19-year-old USHL rookie. He led the league with 41 goals and had 23 assists in 58 regular season games and was +12 with 47 penalty minutes. Muskegon finished fifth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind Green Bay for the final playoff spot. Iacopelli, in his third year of draft eligibility, was ranked 98th amongst North American skaters in Central Scouting’s final rankings prior to the 2014 NHL Draft.

2014-15: Iacopelli scored 23 goals for Muskegon in his second USHL season, sharing the team lead with Tom Marchin. He had 14 assists and was -16 with 38 penalty minutes. The Lumberjacks reached the Clark Cup finals after finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference in the regular season. Iacopelli scored 5 goals with 2 assists and had an even plus/minus with 10 penalty minutes in 11 playoff games.

Talent Analysis

Iacopelli has a hard, accurate shot that makes him an offensive threat every time he steps on the ice. He has the prototypical size of a power forward at the NHL level. His positional play and two-way game are still developing and his college career will give him time to mature as a prospect.

Future

Iacopelli enters his freshman season at Western Michigan University in 2015-16 after two seasons with the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks. The Broncos struggled in the NCHC last season and the Michigan native could have an immediate impact. In terms of his pro potential, Iacopelli's size and shot suggest he can be a dangerous scoring threat — if he continues to develop the ancillary areas of his game.

To say the Chicago Blackhawks have a fondness for developing players in Europe and at the collegiate level is an understatement. 23 prospects laced up either overseas or in college for the 2015-16 season, and a handful had standout seasons for their respective teams. This route of developing talent has become a recent trend in Chicago, with Jonathan Toews, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Teuvo Teravainen being just a few success stories for the Blackhawks. Read more»

Photo: University of Denver forward and Boston Bruins prospect Danton Heinen was a scoring star in his freshman season, posting 16 goals and 45 points in 40 games in 2014-15 (courtesy of Corey Silvia/Icon Sportswire)

In 2015-16, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) features 45 NHL prospects representing all member schools, with each team having at least two prospects on their respective rosters. North Dakota leads with 12 prospects, followed by Nebraska-Omaha with nine. Read more»

Photo: 2011 first-round pick Mark McNeill is making his way up the Chicago depth chart. (courtesy of Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

It’s no secret the Chicago Blackhawks have a knack for scouting and developing young talent. In fact, it is one of the prime reasons the Blackhawks have been one of the premiere franchises in the NHL for the past seven seasons. Due to this success, they continue to draft near the end of each round. Nevertheless, general manager Stan Bowman has managed to assemble an impressive system at nearly every position.

Photo: Los Angeles Kings prospect Nick Shore recently received his first call up to the NHL. Shore was picked by the Kings in the third round of the 2011 NHL Draft. (courtesy of Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire)

Welcome to the January 2015 edition of On the Rush, a monthly column featuring prospects at various levels of competition who are either exceeding expectations or falling a little behind.

Photo: Matt Iacopelli’s strong shot is one reason he leads the USHL in goals in 2014-15 (courtesy of Brandon Anderson/BA Photos)

It is no secret the Chicago Blackhawks are not exactly stacked with young players in the juniors. In fact, with Ryan Hartman having turned pro with the Rockford IceHogs this season, the Hawks do not have a single prospect playing in the CHL.